Posted on November 1, 2021 Winter is here and we know you want to get warm. This is the time of year where you want to consider your home’s heating services. This is when you’re scheduling appointments for heating maintenance, calling professionals when you realize that you might need heating repair, and you might even consider upgrades. In the midst of all this, you might have some questions regarding your home’s heater. One of the main ones being… does my gas furnace run on electricity? The answer is yes. Your fuel source is obviously the natural gas that you’re using to power the system, but if there are also several parts of your furnace that require electricity. We’ll get into these specifics below. Components of Your Gas Furnace That Use Electricity There are a couple of different parts of your furnace that use electricity: Furnace Fan Motor Most older furnace systems use a single-speed motor. If this is the case in your, then your furnace fun eats up the most electricity during this part of your heating process. Electricity is required to get this fan moving. Variable Speed Fans Newer gas furnaces use a variable speed fan. This means that the fan isn’t just functioning at 100% capacity when it’s on or 0% when it’s off. The operation can be a lot more nuanced and, through this, you can save yourself energy in the process. If you’re looking to cut down on the electrical consumption in your home, then we’d suggest upgrading to a unit that uses variable speed. Furnace Igniter Electrical power is required to ignite the flame in your home’s heater. This is a vital step in your heating process because, without it, your heater cannot be powered on at all. Although the amount of electricity that your heater uses is small, it is used in vital steps in the process. Other Common Questions While we’re on the topic of questions regarding a gas furnace, we want to cover another couple of questions that we hear pretty often. We’re available to answer further questions if you have them. You can contact us online or via phone. We’re also available to help you with your furnace repairs in Colorado Springs, CO. Will a Gas Furnace Work Without Electricity? No. The electricity used to power your furnace is vital. It’s the leading reason that your gas furnace is able to turn on and run. Without electricity, your furnace will go out. This is why it’s important to have a healthy, high-functioning home that your heater can work well in. How Much Electricity Does a Gas Furnace Use? Your furnace doesn’t use that much electricity. If we had to make an average, your furnace would only be using about 400 watts of electricity an hour. This is about as much electricity as it takes to run your TV or a small tower fan. The only time you’ll notice a spiking electricity bill due to your heater is if something is wrong with your heating system. Otherwise, you shouldn’t face any issues. Contact Smith Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical today to schedule an appointment with our team members.
